Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-08-20
ROMANCE OF A LETTER.

mind showing | was little, pale Crca,
ture. neither ugly nor pretty, but | did
not envy her. Let all the men on earth
admire her-One loved me. II was fair
i'll his eyes ] cared nothing for her.
The other girls We're jealous ut times.
Madge Burt and Barbara Brown declared
that there was no suSn thing rs getting
any attention from any one where she
was, and certainly she tried her best 10
/ fasCinatc. Militant Bray was her name,
and understand that, young rs she was,
she was a divorced woman.
Ii may have been that she was very
much i'll used 10y her husband and had
been the injured party altogetnrr-I pre-
sumo it is often so-but pure women will
bear great deal rather than sever the
holy tie that binds them Ia husbands s
side. and there is always doubt about a
divorce. Some Of the ladies at Mrs. Hor-
/ tons shrugged their shoulders and Won
dered what the old lady had been think
ing of 10 take Mrs Bray in The gentle
men, however, fought in her defense
Beautiful, musical fond of Irritation and
apt al tattery. she Won her way into their
liking. For my part. did not respect her
one whit did not see anything to love
in her, but | admired her Unlike most
women, always found myself able TO see
the charm that men see in personally
attractive woman.
But were ! a man could not do as men
do-ilatter these firts at the expense Of
true hearted women who love them with
all their souls. When good Mrs Carman
went To her room with tears in her eyes,
leaving Mr. Carman whispering soft
M t,ip,rS in Mr. Rray'e
little Ellie Fay crimson ad and trcmbled
with anger because he lover forgot her
while he turned the bt auty's music and
looked down into her ;es, often thought
Ia myself that those were poor triumplis
after all, and those men who gave thcfn
to her were but silly creatures She liked
hone of them. She Knocked them anil
had little nicknames for each She wa;
cold in heart as she was warm in manner.
Her impassioned glances We're those Of all
actress and nothing more.
She gave these glanCcs to my Harry as
well as TO Others. but | had no fear of
their effect. OF course he knew she was
handsome and that she sang well: So did |.
We had met AT Mrs. Horizons. ! was
an orphan and taught music for my bread:
he was a young clerk in a Wholesale house
At our first meeting we had liked each
other, and he was the only lover | had
ever had. When gave him my bctrothai
kiss it was with lips that had never met
those of any man before, and was glad
TO think of it We lad been engaged
three months and were to be married in
the spring We were wrapped up in each
other, and | believed concerned ourselves
very little about Mrs Bray. | did not
1t pleased me better TO think Of better
women. There were others whose minds
were continually running on her, however
Jealous Eiiic Fay could never quite forget
her Over and over and over again she
sat in her room, with tears pouring down
her cheeks, and talked Of her:
She's wretch" she declared, "a bold,
forward, cruel creature. She knows
Charlie is engaged To me. She knows it,
| see il i'll her eyes, and she works so hard
to get him To herself. Charlie doesn't
know what he is doing for himself |
will break With him yet, and | do love
him So. No one will ever love him so
tluch"
Then she would cry again and begin the
old story Of Mrs. Bray's conduct. Of her
looks her contrivances, her becks and
wreathed smiles. | felt sorry for the
chiti-she was but l6-and sorry. too for
CErlie, who was acting rs most foolish
buys do under those circumstances. But
rne morning she began another strain.
Mrs. Bray is at work with your Harry
aow," she said, land she'll twist him
round her finger soon, As she does my
Charlie. It's witchcraft those women
have-an unholy power Of some kind.
You'll see, Ethel; You'll suffer as | do
soon"
As the day went on noticed one or two
things that Were suspicious. | saw that
She contrived TO meet my lover in the
halls and on the stairs, to sit near him at
dinner time, to go out upon the balcony
when he did
Charlie Beech was allowed to slip back
into his old place in Efiie's heart, and my
Harry was Mrs. Bray's object.
Ellie had been sharper than |, bu.
Harry was too strong in love for me to
yield, felt sure.
Ii was about the time that Harry's
business compelled him TO choose n board
ing place further down town. He left
Mrs. Horizons and only called to see me
in the evenings, and we began 10 write to
each other. | have the little notes he
wrote me carefully hidden away even now.
They are very precious TO me. As
read them over they bring those hours
back again and ! am young and loving
girl once more.
| never loved Harry more tenderly than
when sat down 10 my desk one morning
to tell him Of little festivity which had
been invited to attend, and 10 ask his
escort. ! never shall forget that day.
\ flor / had nlSrnl rho l.ffar I Snt in
room and sewed upon the pretty dress
intended to wcr-, thinking all the while
that it was Harrys favorite color, and
that he would lie sure to ike it.
Fife, happy in her recovered lover. sat
with the and read aloud from a little book
If verses Charlie had given her. They
were not fine verses, nor was she an ele-
CANT reader, but there was love in them
and in her heart and that sufficed.
| had finished the dress, and sat look
M down into the street, when ! saw a
BOY hurrying along Ii was the errand
boy at Harry's place, and Ellie, who had
seen him also. ran down stairs 10 bring
my note to me, for we both Knew that it
was my answer that shimmcred in the
little white envelope in his hand. She
AN down gayly, humming a tune. She
tturhcu Win very serious face y
note was in her hand with my name
ipon it in Harry's writing, but her ex-
rcsSiOn frightened me 80 that caught
ny breath.
What 5 it. Efiie:'
Ethel, - she said, very sadly, ~ must
ell you, lough yon'll hate me. The boy
Who brought that note brought one for
Ills. Bray"
I was so relieved that burst into fit
of laughter.
why should that trouble me2'' l in
luired.
Don't you see your Harry must have
written BOTH she asked.
No" said !, Il do not. am not jeal
JUS of Harry"